Over the years I’ve been privileged to meet some phenomenal people whose writing has grown out of their personal experiences, habits, hobbies and passions in remarkable ways. Hence this “Writing Family” series: a spotlight on various writers whose work has taken on new life from things they do every day.

One such person is medieval-based fantasy writer Marissa Ames. Her Tir Athair series exposes the wonderfully intricate medieval world, populated with complex characters navigating moral quandaries common to the human condition in all ages of the world. Yet writing isn’t her only superpower. She is also a hard-core homesteader with an impressive skill set, from making homemade mozzarella to raising chickens, not to mention being a stellar from-scratch cook.

Relax—you still have time to buy books for Christmas without paying shipping fees or worrying that they won’t arrive in time. These options are for—

Out-of-town family and friends who have Kindles or Nooks (or the free reading Kindle app on their computers or smartphones). Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble have e-book gift-giving options; just look for the “Give/buy as gift” button. If providing the recipient’s email address is a problem, Amazon will let you use your own. (I’m thinking you could print out the email and put it in a card or stocking . . . )

Family and friends who live around here. For these, I’m talking about our local bookstores, which are suddenly competitive with the online booksellers when you absolutely have to have a tangible gift for someone to open at Christmas and you haven’t bought it yet.

We are beyond excited to present our cover and interior design for the horror anthology In Creeps The Night. We partnered with J.A.Mes Pressto create this deliciously creepy collection of 50 flash fiction tales from 50 authors. All royalties for the sales of In Creeps The Night are being donated to Mothers Without Borders. Blue Harvest Creative also donated all of its time on this project (cover design, interior formatting, creation of a matching eBook, and helping with editing) as its contribution to this project and charity.

Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls creep through pages of spooky flash fiction. Discover critically acclaimed authors that will make your skin shiver and have you flinching at bumps in the night. Whenever the mood strikes for something creepy, this collection will leave you looking over your shoulder.

On September 20th, Vassal: The Second Book of Tir Athair will be available in both print and eBook formats. To celebrate, Reno’s best independent bookstore will be hosting me as I sign print copies of all available Tir Athair works. But book signings aren’t the only attractions that day.

Book cover and advertisements designed by Blue Harvest Creative

Schedule of Events:

11am: Storytelling for the kids by aspiring author Dave Nightingale

11am: Falconry demonstrations by Darkwell Castle Organization

11:30: Old world fibers by Beck, including spinning wheels and hand-spindling

Throughout the day:

Heavy combat demonstrations by the Society for Creative Anachronism. (The public will only be spectators for combat demonstrations.)

Craft demonstrations by the Society for Creative Anachronism

Historical representations of the Royal Court of Mary Queen of Scots

Other events are still being determined and will be added to the schedule once finalized.

Other authors include Jean Booth, authors of Zombie War and The Origins paranormal series, and Kurt Winans, author of science fiction works Pilgrimage and Second Moon. Works by all three authors are kept in stock at Grassroots Books.

On site food, including vegan and gluten free options, served by J&J’s Italian Ices

Grassroots Books is the preferred storefront for the Tir Athair series. Print prices will always be lower at Grassroots than on Amazon.com. However, if you prefer eBooks, you can pre-order Vassal for only $3.49 until September 20th. Upon the book’s release date, the price will rise to $4.99.

We are thrilled to reveal our creepy cover design for In Creeps the Night, the new anthology for our publishing partner, J.A.Mes Press. In Creeps the Night is an anthology of horror-themed flash fiction that features fifty stories by fifty authors.

Ghosts, goblins, and ghouls creep through pages of short but spooky flash fiction. Discover critically acclaimed authors as your skin shivers and you flinch at bumps in the night. This collection will exhilarate you just in time for Halloween or whenever the mood strikes for something creepy.

We are very excited to present our cover for Vassal, the second book in the critically acclaimed Tir Athair fantasy series by BHC author, Marissa Ames. The Tir Athair series is a historical-based fantasy series. The first book in the series, Minstrel, is currently a finalist for best fantasy novel of 2013 in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards.

Front cover for print and eBook

Available in trade paperback and eBook September 20, 2014

Cottage cover illustration painted by the author

Blurb:

Who holds your loyalties?

Tir Athair still battles the north, and refugees still face torture for trying to flee oppression. As heiress to Fief Collum, Aislin knows her position is tenuous. She adheres to even the most unjust laws so her liege cannot revoke her land. When her uncle sends six burly men to work on her fief, she is wary of his intentions and their identities…

We are very excited to reveal the cover for A Life Unexpected, by BHC author Sara Daniell. A Life Unexpected is the first book in the Holly Nather series. Holly Nather is a young adult, action-adventure series with a touch of romance!

Front cover for print and eBook

Cover model photograph taken by the author

Blurb:

Visions Come Into Play…Secrets Have Been Told…Choices Must Be Made

Holly is just your typical college student. She goes to classes during the day and spends her nights either hanging out with friends or wasting an embarrassing amount of time on social networking. Her life is ordinary, nothing interesting or extravagant. That is – until she meets Luke. This enigmatic and on-the-verge-of-stalker guy brings excitement into her dull, routine life, introducing her to a world outside of her own…A world of magic…A world called Terre. As the saying goes: “With knowledge comes power” and with power comes danger. Holly is quickly and unexpectedly thrown into a life of chaos, a life that she believed to only exist in science fiction films. Visions of this day have finally come into play, secrets have been told, and choices must be made.

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Marissa Ames – Author

Author, artist, etc.

Marissa Ames is a novelist and freelance writer with constant works in progress. When she isn't writing or creating artwork, she cares for a husband, two children, and an entire urban farm just a mile from downtown Reno, Nevada.